Lastpass– Securely create and remember complex passwords and your credit card information for the sites you visit the most.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Google Keep – Quickly capture what’s on your mind and be reminded at the right place or time. Create a checklist, enter a voice note or snap a photo and annotate it. Everything is instantly available on all your devices.

Devices: Android

Price: Free

Brian’s Top Picks

Refresh– Get an instant dossier of the people you know, meet or are going to meet. No more small talk! By mining the social media sites, Refresh will inform you that the person you’ve just met went on vacation two months ago to Hawaii, just celebrated a 10th wedding anniversary and has a daughter entering second grade. A bit creepy, yes. But useful, yes!

Devices: iOs

Price: Free

FitBit – Track steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned and active minutes throughout the day. At night, track sleep patterns and habits. The wristband syncs wirelessly with your devices and PC, and can also compare between your friends. Get up from the desk chair and get moving! Tip: Wait for the new FitBit Force wristband to come out in 3-4 weeks.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free App + $129 Wristband

Google Sky Map – Point your camera phone to the sky and this app will overlay the constellations. A great app to use with kids when you are outside of the city. Not available for iOS users. Those on iOS should check out Star Walk which offers a great and similar experience.

Devices: Android

Price: Free

Any.do – Simple, clever, and presented well. Those themes go throughout the Any.do app which helps you to manage your life. With good task lists, sharing, calendaring and other great features, it’s a great app to bring many aspects of your life together.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Springpad–Evernote meets Pinterest in this app. From saving ideas, notes, checklists, project tasks, photos and more to its useful suggestions and details, it takes managing the things you want and need to remember to another and different level.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Others to Consider

Glympse– the easiest way to safely share your location with someone in real time and see others’ shared locations. Use it to track your kids, carpool ETA and more. No sign-up needed and no new social network to manage.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Grocery IQ –This shopping list on steroids allows for sharing, organizing, barcode scanning, store maps and more. Check off items as you navigate the store and keep your lists up to date on multiple devices.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Venmo & Square Cash –Two competing apps that make it way too easy to pay friends directly using secure direct transfers between bank accounts (or debit/credit cards for Venmo). No more excuses for having an empty wallet when the bill comes.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

The Coupons App –“Only suckers pay retail…” or so I say. With real-time coupons, daily deals and even a barcode scanner that finds coupons for products in your cart, you hopefully will never pay full price gain.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Duolingo–A language learning app with French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portuguese. The perfect way to learn a new language and the best part, it’s free.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Zite–Based on your interests, Zite will aggregate news, articles and other relevant content from magazines, newspapers, authors, blogs and videos. As you use it more, Zite “learns” to further tailor content.

Devices: iOs, Android

Price: Free

Poynt – A great aggregator of things you already use other apps to do. Look up nearby events and places, movie listings, gas prices and restaurants (by cuisine, name or location). Interactive features include mapping directions, viewing movie trailers and reserving a table.

Devices:iOs

Price: Free

Netatmo –Forget about that old plastic outdoor thermometer with the suction cup on the window. When paired with both in-home and outdoor sensors, Netatmo provides weather stats, indoor and outdoor air quality, trends, alerts, forecasts and more on your phone or tablet.

Devices:iOs

Price: Free + Cost of Sensors

So there you have it, some of my favorite and recommended apps. Share your unique finds with me on Twitter @MelterBFDS. Next week I’ll take a look at the latest and greatest gadgets just in time for the holiday season.

Brian Melter

Brian joined Boston Financial in 2012 as the Managing Director for the E-Business Solutions Division. Brian helps to advance web, mobile, social media, and emerging technology-based solutions to foster innovation, cost-effective growth, and enhance client and advisor engagement. Brian has more than 21 years of experience in mutual fund technology, operations, marketing, and strategy. Prior to joining Boston Financial, Brian was with Wells Fargo Funds Management, where he led the Operations, Retail Marketing, and E-Business teams. Before Wells Fargo Funds Management, Brian led E-Commerce strategy, design, development, and online marketing for Strong Financial Corporation.

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